Alabama

Auburn notebook: Gene Chizik asks his Tigers, 'Who are we going to be?'

Auburn's Gene Chizik counting on his Tigers to go in the right direction (AP photo / Dave Martin)

AUBURN, Alabama -- Auburn coach Gene Chizik has some good wins and some tough losses this year, and, now in the ninth week of the season, is looking for an identity he can live with.

"I told them today in the team meeting we have to figure out who we are," Chizik said after Thursday's practice. "Are we the same team that beat South Carolina and Florida, or the team that showed up against Arkansas and LSU?

"We have a young team right now, and you can flip-flop if you're not really sure who you are. This is going to be a great step in the right direction in really trying to answer that question: Who are we going to be? It really comes down to focusing and finishing, and understanding the things we absolutely can't do because you'll lose games."

**Chizik was asked on his Tiger Talk radio show to identify the freshmen who have helped the most heading into Saturday's game against Ole Miss. He named mostly defensive players, including defensive linemen Gabe Wright, Angelo Blackson and DeAngelo Sigler.

"We're going to continue to work him in the offense more" he said. "He's definitely going to have an impact down the road, but has already. We've got a lot of young guys who have come on and done some good things."

**Chizik again said it was tough to judge quarterback Clint Moseley's first start last Saturday, considering he was under constant pressure in the 45-10 loss.

"Evaluating a quarterback when he's under that much strain is really hard," Chizik said.

Chizik has been careful not to single out a specific position for Auburn's recent offensive woes.

"Collectively, as an offense, we expect to play better this week," he said.

But on the offensive line, Chizik said: "They need to up their level of play. They know that. We know that.